Shane Watson has had a successful career playing for Australia as well as for various franchises in the T20 leagues across the globe. A chance encounter with IndyCar champion Will Power made him realize the importance of mental training, which he was quick to incorporate in his personal and professional life. This book is his attempt to decipher the techniques using which we can train our mind to unlock our skill set and unleash the best version of ourselves.

The author shares techniques to deal with challenges we face in everyday life - not getting distracted by our negative thoughts, focussing on the task at hand, controlling our emotions, managing expectations, importance of perspective etc. You know you are capable of achieving something but don't know how to. This is exactly what the author aims to help you with through this book.

Different cricketers have used different techniques to train their mind and achieve optimum performance. Viv Richards used to chew gum to stay focussed whereas McGrath and Clarke used to sing in their head to concentrate for longer periods. Watson has carved a unique narrative around these techniques which makes the book more relatable and practical.

Several exciting new concepts such as the ACT Model, Performance Equation and rules of the mental road pique your curiosity as a reader.

My Favorite Quote from the book

“ The next step in cricket's evolution will not be in coming up with new ramp shorts or mystery balls or crunching more data or making better plans. It will be training cricketers' minds so that they can reproduce the skills under pressure or execute team strategies more consistently.”

The book is a lucid read and can be finished in a single sitting. Even though the references used are from cricket, the learnings shared by the author are universal in nature and can be applied by anybody. It's very much possible you have heard about these themes at a motivational lecture or in an inspirational video. But the author takes a structured approach to break them down in a framework that is easily adoptable.

The book lacks flair that characterizes Watson's batting. It gets theoretical at times. And not all topics might be interesting for you. But it is a worthwhile read overall.